THE LONDONERS: The Secret Underground City

Chapter 2. THE TUNNEL BENEATH THE TUNNEL

When the children reached the Dartford Tunnel's Shuttle Service Station, it was all locked up with the same Dartford Crossing warning of closure notice they had seen at the other Shuttle Service Station. So they locked up their bikes against the fence beside the gate and headed off on foot towards the tunnel.

"There it is!" said Catherine, pointing in the distance.

"How far away is it?" asked Sean.

"I'd say about 1000 metres."

"I hope we don't get caught before we even get inside the tunnel."

"As long as we approach along the side banking and keep off the road, we'll avoid being seen on any highway transport security cameras until the last possible moment when we enter the tunnel's exit point."

Ten minutes later...

"We're almost there," said Kevin. "Strange, there's no traffic on the main exit road but I can't see any evidence of flooding."

"That's because the flood water would have flowed down into the tunnel," said Catherine. "I should think the middle of the tunnel is still flooded and the engineers are waiting for the water pumps to drain the rain water off."

"Look!" exclaimed Sean, pointing down at some barriers just outside the tunnel. "If we sneak inside the tunnel, ducking down behind those barriers, the security cameras that watch the tunnel exit won't see us."

The children carefully scampered down some banking towards the tunnel's exit. Catherine was first in a train of four human carriages to duck down and start inching her way into the tunnel.

Suddenly she stopped.

"Quick, get back a few feet!" she said in an urgent whisper.

"What is it?" whispered Libby, who was right behind her, and quickly shuffling backwards.

"There's a man guarding the tunnel's exit point," warned Catherine. "He's sitting inside a sort of booth. He's wearing a soldier's uniform. Three stripes. He's a sergeant."

"That just goes to show how important this tunnel is," said Kevin. "The more important the place, the more important the guard!"

"Well, anyway," said Catherine, "we should be able to sneak past him if we keep ducked down low and keep very quiet. Does everyone understand?"

The others nodded.

"The Londoners" once again sneaked towards the tunnel using the barriers as cover from any outside security cameras surveying the tunnel's exit. Like a gang of huge rats, they scampered silently past the tunnel's exit point guarding booth, keeping well beneath any booth windows.

The path they took led them directly to the service walkway, which sometimes diverted from the side of the road to disappear behind sections of the tunnel wall.

After about thirty metres of urgently shuffling along, they took a rest while the walkway was behind a section of tunnel wall.

"So far, so good," said Catherine, triumphantly. "Knowing that nothing can be completely secure is helping us succeed."

"It's getting awfully dark," said Libby, looking a little scared. "I don't think there are any lights on in the tunnel. It's pitch-black further down the tunnel."

Kevin whipped out his mobile phone. "We can use our mobile phones as torches, see?" Kevin swiped the surface of his mobile's screen and pressed on his Torch App. A soft beam of light fired out of the top edging of his mobile. He held it downwards where the sheltered walkway was already very dark. "It's a Torch App. Uses LEDs. It might not look too bright, but in the pitch-black it will be more than enough."